The present invention relates to a game device, and more particularly to a game device for executing a game involving a competition of typing skills.
Various types of input devices are used as input means for game devices using computers, such as joysticks, key sticks, light guns, and the like, according to the contents of the game.
Amongst these, there exist computer-based game devices for executing a game involving competition of typing skills, in other words, typing speed and accuracy, or generic information processing devices devised such that they execute a typing game program, (hereinafter, simply called xe2x80x9cgame devicesxe2x80x9d,) which use a keyboard as an input device.
In general, prescribed words are displayed in relation to a character, in other words, a competition opponent, shown on a display screen (hereinafter, called an xe2x80x98enemyxe2x80x99 in the present invention). Typing corresponding to the displayed words is input from the keyboard device, and if a player inputs the correct text corresponding to a prescribed number of words in a prescribed period of time, then he or she is able to defeat the enemy.
Moreover, when a certain enemy has been defeated, a further, different enemy character is displayed, and words associated with that enemy are displayed. Thereby, the player is able to input text via the keyboard device, similarly to the foregoing. By repeating these operations, the player is either able to continue playing the game, or is obliged to end the game, depending on whether or not he or she has defeated a prescribed number of enemies.
In a conventional device, rather than displaying an attack on the enemy for each text character that is input, it is judged whether or not the input text is correct and an attack on the enemy is only displayed for the first time when input of all the text has been completed. Whilst this is acceptable if considered for use as a rapid practice method for keyboard skills, it is lacking in excitement and novelty in terms of its characteristics as a game.
Moreover, if a plurality of enemies are displayed, and the enemy against whom the attack is directed can be switched during input of the text, then in a conventional device, a player has been able to return the text input to an initial state by intentionally inputting incorrect text. In this case, a penalty is applied in the game for the incorrect input. However, despite the fact that this incorrect input is not a reflection of the player""s actual skills, it is generally accepted that a penalty is applied to the player in the game.
Moreover, when one enemy is defeated, a subsequent, different enemy is displayed, but these enemies are stationary, rather than animated, and the specified words that must be input for the enemies are the same for each respective enemy. As a result of this, the game becomes monotonous, and since the specified words that must be input are fixed, there is a high possibility that the same specified words required for input will be repeated as the game continues. Therefore, it is possible that the player will lose interest in the game itself.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a game device executing a game involving competition of typing skills, which provides enhanced game characteristics.
Moreover, the present invention provides a game device executing a game involving competition of typing skills, wherein specified words which must be input are not fixed with respect to game characters, namely, to displayed enemies.
In order to achieve the aforementioned objects, the present invention comprises: control means for executing a program; geometry calculating means for performing co-ordinate conversions of a plurality of polygons constituting an enemy character forming an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, simply called xe2x80x9cenemy characterxe2x80x9d); and rendering processing means for generating a display image by converting the three-dimensional co-ordinates generated by the geometry calculating means, to two-dimensional co-ordinates.
According to the program executed and controlled by said control means, an operation instruction display region corresponding to the enemy character, namely, in an embodiment of the invention, a box indicating a word (hereinafter, simply called xe2x80x9cword indication boxxe2x80x9d) is generated by a polygon, in an embodiment of the invention, and a specified word prompting typing input by a player (in addition to text characters, this may also contain symbols, or the like; the same applying to the subsequent description of the present invention) is displayed in the word instruction box polygon.
Desirably, according to the program executed and controlled by said control means, the display priority of the word instruction box polygon in the depth direction is set higher than the display priority of the corresponding enemy character in the depth direction, in such a manner that the word instruction box polygon is displayed in front of the corresponding enemy character on the screen.
Moreover, desirably, according to the program executed and controlled by said control means, if the display positions of a plurality of enemy characters are overlapping, then the display priorities in the depth direction of the plurality of word instruction box polygons corresponding respectively to the plurality of enemy characters are set higher than the display priorities in the depth direction of the plurality of enemy characters, and the display positions of the plurality of word instruction box polygons are controlled in such a manner that they do not overlap mutually beyond a prescribed amount.
Furthermore, desirably, alphabetical characters indicating the reading of the specified words displayed in the word instruction box polygons are appended thereto, the control means determines a match thereof with the alphabetical characters input by a player, and if the match meets prescribed conditions, then prescribed changes are applied to the display of the enemy character corresponding to the word instruction box polygon, according to the program executed and controlled by the control means.
Moreover, desirably, said control means performs control in such a manner that, when the first alphabetical character of the alphabetical characters displaying the reading of a specified word applied as texture to an word instruction box polygons is input, the enemy character corresponding to the word instruction box polygon is identified as an attack enemy character, and subsequent typing input is only considered as valid with respect to the specified word of the word instruction box polygon corresponding to the identified enemy character.
Furthermore, desirably, the prescribed conditions are cases where the typing input is correct for an individual specified word, or for each character of the alphabetical characters indicating the reading of the specified word.
Moreover, desirably, the conditions are cases where, if the input corresponds to any of the different combinations of alphabetical characters indicating the reading of the specified word, the input made by the player and the alphabetical characters indicating the reading of the specified word are judged to be matching, and when the same specified word is displayed in an word instruction box polygon at a subsequent juncture, the alphabetical characters input by the player are set as the alphabetical characters indicating the reading of the specified word.
Furthermore, desirably, a table of difficulty level numbers corresponding to kana characters is provided, and the difficulty level of a specified word is taken as the number given by summing the difficulty level numbers corresponding to the respective kana characters which form the reading of the specified word, according to the program executed and controlled by the control means.
Moreover, desirably, in the development of the game, if the typing input made by the player with respect to a specified word having a reading of a first difficulty level number is correct, then the specified word displayed subsequently is selected at random from a group of specified words having a difficulty level number that is not smaller than the first difficult level number.
Furthermore, desirably, the word instruction box polygon is generated in such a manner that that it follows the movement of the corresponding enemy character, according to the program executed and controlled by said control means, and when converting the co-ordinates to two-dimensional co-ordinates, the display priority of said word instruction box polygon in the depth direction is set to a maximum value, or, at the least, to a specific value which is greater than the display priority of said enemy character in the depth direction.
Furthermore, desirably, when the word instruction box polygons follow the movement of the corresponding enemy characters, then in cases where an enemy character moves in a non-linear fashion, the corresponding word instruction box polygon is controlled in such a manner that it moves along a linear path of travel linking the movement start position and the movement end position of the enemy character.
Moreover, desirably, the upper, lower, left-hand and right-hand edges of the display region on the screen as obtained by converting the word instruction box polygons to two-dimensional co-ordinates, are located in such a manner that a space of a prescribed number of dots or above is provided and displayed respectively at the upper, lower, left-hand and right-hand edges of the screen.